


In My Defence

by pizzacreative (LMB)



Category: Bohemian Rhapsody (Movie 2018), Queen (Band)
Genre: Angst and Fluff, Early Queen (Band), Hurt/Comfort, Idiots Realize They Love Each Other, M/M, Mugging
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-29
Updated: 2020-05-29
Packaged: 2021-03-02 23:48:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,387
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24095350
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LMB/pseuds/pizzacreative
Summary: Brian has always seen Freddie as this small, fragile thing. That is, until the moment they were confronted.
Relationships: Brian May/Freddie Mercury
Comments: 8
Kudos: 43





	In My Defence

**Author's Note:**

> Does anyone else just love how we reuse song lyrics as titles in this fandom? XD

Somehow, in one way or another, Brian May was left to do all the housework. It was a habit that had formed in childhood and carried on into his college years. When his parents were busy not speaking to each other, he’d be the one to dust the living room. When nobody else in his dorm emptied the dishwasher or vacuumed the floor, he did it. Now, here he was again, cleaning after three other guys in a small flat they shared. It’s not that Brian minded doing any of it. He just wished his bandmates had that same need for _not_ looking like they lived in a shithole that he did.

At first, he thought maybe they needed a bit of encouragement. Roger, Deaky, and Freddie probably weren’t expected to help around the house before. As such, they wouldn’t have grown up with the same values Brian did. He tried devising an easy chores system to help them feel like they were part of a family. But that had failed.

Roger was more likely to break the dishes than dry them. He also managed to track dirt everywhere and use up all the bath towels trying to clean out the toilet.

The only one who zoned out more than Brian was Deaky. Who did _not_ wash the windows or take out the garbage, let alone leave the couch, in the span of the three hours he was given.

And then there was Freddie. Sweet, sweet Freddie. His heart was in the right place. But he did more posing than actual helping—“Look, Roggie, I’m doing laundry! Aren’t I such a wife? Quick, take a picture!”—and often took forever to get around to his chores until finally, Brian couldn’t stand it anymore and just did them himself. Such a shame, too. He saved the kitchen cabinet reorganizing specially for Freddie. He thought he’d rather like that one. He was always talking about needing to fit an ‘aesthetic’ or something or other. It also would’ve given Brian an excuse to talk to him while he cooked the meals for the day. He imagined how the conversation would go. Brian would ask Freddie how work was, Freddie would ask the same, they'd talk about their hobbies and dreams…

Anyway. That hope was dashed. But Brian needed to go to the supermarket tonight, and for some reason, he did not feel like going alone. So, he asked Freddie to go with him.

Even now, walking through the produce section, Brian still could not figure out how he convinced Freddie to tag along. Maybe it was his agreement to take him clothes shopping beforehand. Or when he pointed out that Rog and Deaky would only irritate Freddie with another of their boyish pranks if he stayed with them _._ Or when he agreed to let Freddie pick out a few items that weren’t on the list. Yeah, that had to be it.

“We need more cake mix,” Freddie grinned and held out a chocolate one.

“There’s three in the trolley already,” Brian said, but Freddie dropped it in anyway. 

“Mmm, you know what would be wonderful tomorrow night, darling? Some spare ribs and onion sauce.”

Brian’s eyes widened. “Fred, that’s gross!”

“King of the vegetables,” Freddie waved him off with a fake pout. “We’ll need champagne afterwards, too. And then, I might smoke a cigarette pack on top of that. What do you think? Will more people want to kiss me?” He wiggled his eyebrows.

“God,” Brian snorted in spite of his heart rate already picking up speed. Some days, he wondered if his crush was obvious. A small part of Brian liked to pretend Freddie went with him to the supermarket because he felt the same back, but there was no way. Freddie touched, threw around pet names, and made suggestive comments so much it could be difficult to tell whether he was flirting. Besides, Brian was just a science nerd voted most likely to lose his coat. What chance did he stand with someone so wonderfully complex as Freddie?

True, the man ate enough meat to make Brian’s vegetarian stomach curdle. That was part of what made him intriguing, though. Looking at Freddie’s stage presence, Brian would never have guessed that he ate so messily in real life, so…ordinarily. There was something so real beneath that dramatic exterior. And Brian connected to it from the moment they met, trying to draw out that side of Freddie whenever he could. Small things, like getting him to laugh and show his teeth without even knowing. Writing him songs that showed off the grit and softness of his vocal range. Talking to him alone in their shared bedroom and feeling unexpected affection at how quiet his voice got compared to public surroundings, eyes and hands not knowing what to do. As Brian was a man of space, it was only a matter of time before he got caught up in Freddie Mercury’s orbit. But he had well and truly fallen for Farrokh Bulsara, too.

Freddie’s petiteness was another matter. Onstage, he looked powerful, but Brian was sure he could knock him over. Not that he would _ever_ want to do that, of course, because Freddie was too sweet and unassuming. Plus, it might break every bone in his body. Freddie was only four inches shorter than Brian _and_ the oldest, yet he managed to weigh the least out of the band. How Brian’s heart ached for him. If only all that meat he ate would attach itself to his bones instead of disappearing every time. Seeing him curl up so small in his bed at night almost made him want to burst into tears. If something were to happen to this man, well…Brian May would just never forgive himself, would he? 

“Darling. Your hand is in the freezer,” Freddie giggled.

“What? Oh.” Brian took it out and shook his red fingers off, trying to get some feeling back into them. He didn’t even remember what he was looking for. Well, at least it amused Freddie.

“Look at it. Absolutely raw,” he tutted. Then, before Brian could even blink, Freddie took his hand between both of his tiny hands. His eyes were downcast all of a sudden. “I’m sorry, dear. I don’t mean to laugh. Are you all right?”

Brian’s breath hitched. There it was again. That quiet caring side Brian was sure only the closest few experienced. If he could call Freddie and himself close after two years.

“Yeah, I’m all right, Fred,” Brian smiled at him. “Just zoned out, is all.”

“Good,” Light filled Freddie’s dark eyes once again. “Then, I’ll get some vanilla ice cream for our cake!”

He only used one hand to reach into the freezer, which was lucky for Brian. Freddie’s hand was warm. Unfortunately, he had to let go after that so he could steal Brian’s trolley and speed it down the aisle. Every fiber of Brian’s being wanted to shout at him to stop for fear he might crash. But could he really do that when he saw how happy it made him?

Freddie cheered, leaning forward and lifting his legs up. Brian shook his head with a fond grin. The berating would have to wait till later.

They reached the cashier unscathed, thank goodness. Brian felt for whoever had to be up at this hour. He and the group knew a little something about scraping by. 

Music wasn’t a reliable income source yet. Queen didn’t make much from their college gigs aside from a few drinking friends. Roger and Freddie worked a stall at Kensington Market, and Brian was a maths teacher. Altogether, it was enough for the rent, really. And groceries. Deaky felt bad he didn’t have a job when he first joined in February, but Freddie'd said, “Oh no, don’t you worry your pretty little head, darling! Academics come first.” So, Deaky stayed in college and studied electronics. He still wanted to help, though, so Brian, Roger, and Freddie made him the band’s unofficial electrician and treasurer. The latter of which they gladly gave up responsibility for. Otherwise, Brian would’ve been stingy, and Freddie and Roger would want to spend their budget on everything. Deaky was that nice middle ground between everybody. 

Brian grimaced seeing how much these groceries cost. At least Deaky lent them enough money to pay for that and Freddie’s new clothes. Brian didn’t understand the fuss over shopping. But it was nice to see Freddie get excited over it. He thanked the cashier and picked up the brown paper bags before he and Freddie walked outside. 

It was night in London, which was why the supermarket for the most part was quiet. The rain glistening off the cobblestone streets and lamp posts were the only things preventing the pitch-blackness from swallowing this side of town. It brought shivers up Brian’s spine every time. He didn’t often venture here. Especially at night. But with Roger and Deaky complaining about the fridge being empty, what other choice did he have?

“Deaky will be so delighted to have his cheese on toast again,” Freddie grinned.

“Oh, yeah. I’m out getting that every other week,” Brian rolled his eyes, chuckling.

“What do you suppose he likes about them, anyway, all those different types of cheeses?”

“Couldn’t tell you.” Brian jostled the three bags in his arms a bit, trying to balance them better.

“Do you need any help with those?” Freddie asked.

“No, I’ve got them. You just carry your clothes,” Brian said, smiling.

Freddie smiled back. “Well, all right, Bri, if you’re sure.”

He was. He couldn’t let Freddie carry these. Not when they were sure to make one of his arms snap off. Even Roger, the biologist, probably couldn’t figure out how to connect the joints back together once it happened. And besides, Brian was used to doing this. It wasn’t so bad.

When they got to the end of the block, the smile fell from Freddie’s face for a second. 

“Dear, I think we might’ve taken a wrong turn somewhere.”

“What makes you say that?”

A glass bottle shattered against a brick wall next to them. They jerked their heads around just in time to see three guys dressed in black approaching them fast. Tonight’s supper crawled up Brian’s throat. No, no, no, this could not be happening.

The guys surrounded him and Freddie on all sides, leading them into a narrow alley. Brian’s stomach churned at the thought of things getting physical. Especially while Freddie was there. He had to do something.

“Look, I don’t think there’s any reason for you folks to be aggressive,” he tried, stepping in front of Freddie as best he could. “I don’t wanna fight you."

"What's in there?" one of the guys said, pointing at the bags with a curious look. Hope blossomed in Brian. Maybe this wouldn't escalate after all.

"You don't have to tell them," came Freddie's quiet voice from behind Brian.

"Fred? I've got this," Brian told him. Then, he looked to the other guys. "They're just groceries."

The three in black burst into laughter. 

“Oi, get a load of this bloke!"

“What are you, the mum?!”

They snatched the bags and began looting through them for stuff they liked. Bread, soup cans, and all four boxes of cake mix. Everything else they dumped unceremoniously to the ground. The sounds of milk spilling and eggshells cracking echoed through the alleyway. And just as suddenly as that feeling of hope blossomed, it turned into something resembling nausea.

"Well. Anyway," Brian said. "We’re going to take back our bags if you're done and walk away now.”

The words hardly left his mouth before a pair of hands grabbed Brian's shirt front.

“Gimme your money,” the leader snarled. 

Brian swallowed at the heavy stench of whiskey.

“We don’t have any.”

“What?!” the guy yelled in his face, shoving him against the brick wall. Brian held both his hands up, eyes shut. 

“Please. I-I’m sorry.”

“We don’t want your lame apology, poofer.” Another guy spat in his face. “We want your wallet. Now, gimme it!”

“Hey! Don’t touch him,” Freddie yelled, now standing next to Brian. The leader took one look at him and snorted.

“Or what?”

At the same instance he made a grab for Brian, Freddie knocked him out with one punch to the jaw. He stood shoulder-width apart afterwards with his knees bent and fists brought up. The two others watched him with their mouths hung open.

“Does anyone else want a go? No? Then _fuck off,”_ he spat. The two guys hunched over, dropped the bags, and ran from the alley.

Brian looked at Freddie, trying to catch his breath. His pupils were blown wide, and veins were popping out of his forehead as he showed his full set of teeth. Brian couldn’t believe his eyes. He knew Freddie could have a bit of a temper, but Freddie was usually the one to mediate any tiffs Brian and Roger had. This was the same Freddie who screamed whenever he saw a spider but made Brian trap a glass over it and take it outside instead of killing it like Roger suggested. The man Brian saw now was still Freddie, but a very real part of him he hadn’t seen before. And he loved him all the more for it.

“How—how did you do that?” he asked, licking his lips since they had gone dry.

"I learned boxing when I went to boarding school in India." Freddie was still not looking at him. "My friends there thought I wanted to be champion at everything. But I wanted them to know they couldn’t just push me around.”

Brian remembered hearing somewhere that Freddie had been the victim of cruel bullying. Wasn’t it Tim who told him? Yes, when he first introduced Freddie to the band. That was why nobody could say anything about his teeth. Freddie’s so-called childhood “friends” used to call him Bucky. Even when Freddie expressed he didn’t like it, they'd tell him to get over it, that it was just an affectionate nickname. Freddie did not get over it, though. It stayed with him so much he learned to cover his mouth whenever he smiled, thinking his joy was something to hide. And here all Brian could think about that first time they met was how it was unique, and even _cute,_ the way Freddie’s teeth protruded over his bottom lip. He didn’t understand how anyone might’ve called it ugly.

“Did they stop teasing you, then?” Brian asked.

“Only to my face,” Freddie conceded. "There was this one match where I was getting hammered, and they all kept begging me to stop. But no, I kept going. I ended up leaving the ring with blood all over my face and teeth. I suppose at that point, they knew they couldn’t be direct with me anymore.”

Guilt ate at Brian's insides. He could have died. _Died._ Just now, that sunk in. If Freddie hadn’t been there, Brian wouldn’t have made it back home. He would’ve frozen up and been useless like he was a few seconds ago. Lot of good _that_ did. Imagine if Freddie _had_ been defenceless. He could've died too, and it would be all Brian's fault.

"Oh, Freddie." He placed a hand on his shoulder. "I am so sorry."

He swore the fire died in Freddie’s eyes at that very moment.

"Why, dear?"

"I've been underestimating you all along. I didn't know you were strong enough to hold out on your own, so I'm no better than anyone at your old boarding school. And I call myself your friend," he groaned, head hanging down. If Freddie weren't the group's leading dramatic already, Brian could definitely be a runner-up.

Luckily, Freddie was also a class act at comforting people.

"Don't be ridiculous," he said softly, lifting Brian's chin to meet his eyes. "If you and everyone else knew everything about me, I wouldn't have the enigmatic charisma that made me frontman, would I?"

"Right," Brian nodded.

"And besides, it wasn't your fault. Those thieves scared the living daylights out of you."

"They really did," Brian chuckled. A few tears were starting to mix with the spit on his face. How ironic. Turns out he was the small, scared one.

"Brimi," Freddie cooed and wiped his face. "It’s all right, dear, it’s dark out. They won’t recognize us again. Or bump into us again, if they know what’s good for them.” Here, darkness entered his voice for a moment before it went back to being gentle. "Come here, darling. You're shaking."

He gathered Brian into his arms as his breathing sped up, sure enough. The pain of it racked through his body, leaving him wet-faced and trembling. It was a good thing he had the brick wall, or he didn’t know if he could stand. Freddie’s thin arms were firm on Brian’s neck. And his shoulder, which Brian thought looked fragile once, turned out warm and full of muscle up close. Brian was the real fragile one trying not to let his gangly legs give out.

"I'm here." Freddie pressed their chests together to give Brian more leverage. He ran a soothing hand through the back of his hair. "Shhh, calm down." Freddie pecked his temple. "Calm down, Brian. You need to breathe normally, or you'll faint."

Brian was seeing stars as he gripped Freddie's lower back, and not the good kind.

"I–I dunno how. I can't—"

"Yes you can," Freddie reassured. "Come on. Seven deep breaths. I'll do it with you. And I know you have good rhythm, so don't try and cheat me out of it."

Brian snorted and was about to formulate a witty reply when Freddie's hands moved to his waist.

"Don't laugh. _Breathe,"_ he emphasized. Brian felt Freddie lift his chest against him and slide his hands up towards his ribs, so he lifted his chest to match. They held it that way for a few seconds. Then, they breathed out slowly through pursed lips as though they were whistling. Freddie lowered his hands back to Brian's waist. "Again," said Freddie.

They took in more air through their noses. Held it. Let it out. "Good!" Freddie grinned. The next time was admittedly rough for Brian, but the one after that was better by a lot. "You're doing great, baby," Freddie whispered into his ear, rubbing his arm up and down his back. Brian _felt_ great. It no longer seemed like his lungs were moving nonstop. Especially after that fifth one. Even so, he took two more nice big breaths alongside Freddie anyway. In four seconds, hold for seven, out eight seconds.

With one last shuddering sigh, Brian pulled back. He was met with the rewarding sight of Freddie's eyes shining up at him.

"Good job," Freddie said. Brian smiled.

"Appreciate it."

Freddie moved a stray curl off his forehead. His other hand was still on Brian's waist, which Brian did not oppose one bit. 

"I'm glad you're okay. I can't afford to lose my lead guitarist to a heart attack. Literally," Freddie winked.

Brian's heart swelled. Nothing cheered him up like joking about how poor they both were. It was times like these he was sure their group's resilience would eventually lead them to their first record deal. But for now, it was just Freddie and Brian standing in the rain-soaked alley at 21:00 hours. And Brian had a serious urge to kiss him.

Instead, he said "Thank you" and meant it with every fiber of his being.

"You're quite welcome." Freddie was massaging his shoulder blades now. “And if it's any consolation, my dear, I was terribly frightened too. Punching that man was only a last resort.” He smiled. "But I did love that you stood up for me."

Brian sniffed. "Really?"

"Yes. You're very sweet."

There was that kissing urge again. Brian could not ignore it this time. So, he leaned down and closed his eyes.

Brian could register the softness of Freddie's lips and the after-supper green tea in his breath. However surprised Brian was that Freddie wasn't pulling away, he was even more surprised to feel Freddie's hands combing through his curls, deliberately deepening the kiss. Brian cupped his jaw and the back of his neck in return. He wanted to get as close to him as possible.

Freddie's mouth quivered against his, showing how much the event had gotten to him. Brian pet his hair, starting from the top of Freddie’s head and brushing down over his ear. He wanted him to know he was safe with him too. Emotionally, anyway. It seemed to be working, as Freddie hummed and embraced him again. He wondered how Freddie did that—make Brian seem smaller and skinnier when they hugged. It was like his arms were teeming with energy. Brian relished the way they squeezed him even after they parted, bringing him close enough to smell the perfume and baby shampoo mix that was so uniquely Freddie.

All was quiet except for the sounds of their breathing.

"Shall we go home now, my love?" Freddie asked after a bit.

Brian blushed. _Well._ Freddie hadn't called anyone _that_ one before.

"Yeah."

They stepped over the unconscious guy, careful not to wake him up, before they were out on the street again. Neither of them bothered picking up the bags. Most of their groceries were gone. The ones left behind were long past salvaging by now.

"Can you believe they took all our cake mix?" Freddie huffed.

"They took the ice cream, too," Brian shook his head. "And all the vegetables are history."

"Face it, Bri. We've been thoroughly robbed," Freddie said, looking down.

"Oh, Fred," Brian's eyebrows drooped at that. "Did they take your clothes?"

"Ha! No! Those were safe with me. Isn't that horrible?”

Brian shook his head and stopped them for a moment so he could place his hands on Freddie's shoulders.

"You will look wonderful in them," he said.

It was Freddie's turn to blush, and it suited his cheekbones quite well. Brian planted a kiss on one of them before they continued on their way.

~

Roger and Deaky were playing cards on the couch when Brian and Freddie walked in. They looked over their cards at Freddie and Brian's arms around each other's shoulders, heads leaning together. Immediately, their eyebrows rose as if they were going to make a joke. Then, they saw their faces and frowned.

"What happened to you two?" said Roger.

"Where are the groceries?" said Deaky.

"Boys," Freddie lifted his chin and puffed out his chest in true Freddie fashion. "We were mugged."

"What?!" Roger shot up from the couch, eyes like blue flames. "Who was it, Fred? I'll kill them!"

"I'll help," Deaky agreed, pounding his palm. He may have seemed like a sweetheart, but nobody stood between him and food.

"I'm afraid that's no use," Freddie dismissed. "It was dark out when they found us. We couldn't identify their faces."

"Well, I'll find them anyway and murder their brains out," Roger growled and wrapped the two of them in a hug, his protective mode coming out in full. "Shit, are you guys all right? Did they hurt you?"

“I'm fine, Rog. I had the tools to defend myself," said Freddie. "But they frightened the skin off of poor Brian.”

He rubbed his arm up and down Brian's back as it shivered again, sure enough.

"They hurt Brian?!" Deaky gasped.

"That's it! Now, they're _really_ gonna die!" Roger cracked his knuckles, face burning.

"No, Roger, don't," Brian spoke up just then. "Please. It's not worth it."

"What the bloody hell do you mean?" Roger demanded, though his temper was diffusing anyway.

"We don't need to fight them," Brian continued as Freddie kept rubbing his back. "It was my bad for going to the supermarket at night. I'll go to a different one tomorrow morning."

Roger's eyes widened. "Brian, this is your _life_ we're talking about, mate."

"It doesn't matter. We've gotta restock the fridge sometime. Might as well get it over with. I'll borrow money from my folks so we don't have to take any more out of the budget."

He managed a smile, though nobody looked convinced. Even Freddie was biting his lip. Freddie looked over to the youngest and asked, "What do you think, Deaky?"

"I think all four of us should go tomorrow and use however much money we want."

Three other sets of jaws dropped.

"But—but why?" said Brian.

"We already tried being responsible tonight. Doesn't mean we have to try again," Deaky shrugged.

Roger grinned and hung an arm around Deaky's shoulder.

"Mate, you're fucking awesome!"

"Amazing," Brian agreed, breathless.

"Thank you, John," Freddie smiled and planted a kiss on top of Deaky's head. 

"Shucks," Deaky gave a boyish chuckle, ears red.

"Now, one for you," Freddie said, kissing the top of Roger's head, "and one for _you."_ He skipped the top of Brian's head and went straight for his lips instead. Brian was grateful for that.

"I'm guessing you figured it out, then," Roger teased them after.

"Figured out what?" said Brian.

"How much you love each other," Deaky double-arched his eyebrows, elbowing Roger as they both snickered.

Freddie snorted. "Very funny. Why don't you two go ahead and hook up while you're at it?"

"Nah, John and I are just friends," Roger smirked. "We're sure as hell enjoying _this_ , though. Right, Deaks?"

"You bet," Deaky said, and the two of them started off laughing again. Brian grinned down at Freddie.

"We're going to regret them knowing, aren't we?"

"Eh," Freddie held his waist. "As long as we can keep doing this, it'll be fine."

"Y'know—I really do love you, Fred," Brian said, smoothing his hair out of his face.

Freddie beamed up at him.

"And I love you, Brian."

They kissed again, chuckling through their noses as Roger and Deaky pretended to gag in the background. Yeah, they were children, but they were _their_ children. And they offered to help Brian with the chores for once. Something no one had ever done for him previously in all the years he'd handled the housework.

Brian could feel tears coming to his eyes once again. His bandmates were the best.

**Author's Note:**

> Saw all these adorable maycury fics of Protective!Brian and wanted to flip it around for once.


End file.
